Clothesline support



Oct. 17, 1939. o. o. JOHNSON CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Filed Aug. 2, 1957 O. 0. JOHNSON INVEN TOR.

B Y WkZW Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to clothesline supports of the clamping type to which a clothesline may be readily applied and from which it may be as readily removed. Among the objects 5 of this invention are to provide an improved clothesline support of the type indicated; to provide a clothesline support of the type indicated which can be readily and inexpensively manufactured; to provide a clothesline support of the type indicated which is so constructed as to insure that the clothesline will not get out of place when applied to the support; to provide a support of the character indicated which will permit of clotheslines being drawn in various directions 15 therefrom without any fear of the rope slipping from the support; and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein.

20 In the drawing annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Figs. 1 and 2 show, respectively, a front elevation and a side elevation of my present construction;

5 Fig. 3 represents two units of my invention with a rope applied thereto to show the method of attaching the rope and the way in which the rope may extend in various directions from the support;

30 Fig. 4 represents a bottom plan view of this construction.

This construction comprises three elements, a bracket l, a dog 2, and a rivet 3 to pivotally secure the other two elements together. The

35 bracket l comprises the attaching plate or base plate 4, the body or guide plate 5, the auxiliary body member or guide plate 6, and the connecting web l. The dog 2 comprises the body or lever arm 8, the fingerpiece 9, and the holding arm I0, the

40 latter having a pair of fingers II to receive between them the rope 12. These fingers thus serve as means for preventing the rope from slipping sidewise and escaping from between the holding arm l6 and the cooperating rib I3 on plate 4.

45 As shown in Fig. 3, the rope is inserted between the body member 5 and the auxiliary member 6 and then brought down between the arm I and the rib l3, being located between the fingers ll. Assuming one end of the rope to be fastened and 50 then that the rope is mounted in one of these supports, at another point in its length. If the rope is not tight enough, the free end is pulled to cause tightening thereof, the rope slipping over the upper end of the body 8, between the 55 fingers i4 and down between the rib I3, arm l0, and fingers II. The tighter the rope is, the harder it pulls on the body 8 and, consequently, the greater will be the pressure on the rope exerted by the arm and pressing the rope against rib l3. Assuming that it is desired to stretch the rope from the support at the right, as shown in Fig. 3, then the rope is raised across the finger H and carried into the slot between members 4, 5, and 6 and through the slot 15 between members 5 and 6. It can then be carried either to the right or left from this support to any other support to which it is desired that the rope be connected. When it is desired to release the rope 10 and take it down, all that is necessary is to pull on fingerpiece 9 so as to turn the dog 2 about its pivot 3 and then raise the rope and remove it from the support. Application and removal of the rope from the supports are both very simple and easy to accomplish and the support will, in use, grip the rope very positively, insuring that it will be held up in place and that the clothes supported on the line will not be permitted to drop upon the ground because of failure of the support.

It will of course be understood that the specific disclosure set forth herein may be departed from without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in this specification and the appended claim. 7

Having now described my invention, I claim:

A line support comprising two pivotally connected members, one of said members comprising a base plate and a pair of guide plates, one of which is secured to said base plate and the other of which is spaced therefrom, whereby to provide an opening between such other guide plate and the base plate for the insertion of a line, and a web connecting said guide plates at a point remote from said base plate, the other of said memv bers being positioned between said guide plates and pivoted thereto at the lower portion thereof and being positioned between said Web and said base plate, said other of said members having a lever arm extending upwardly from the pivot thereof and a holding arm extending into proximity with said base plate, said web being positioned on the side of said other member remote from said base plate and extending upwardly to a point substantially at or below the upper end of said lever arm, whereby a line placed in said device over the lever arm and between the holding arm and base plate is secured due to wedging action of the holding arm and due to clamping force exerted on said holding arm by said lever arm, said guide plates extending above the upper edge of said web with the edges of said guide plates, remote from said base plate, each extending in a direction from said upper edge in a direction slightly away from said base plate and upwardly.

OTIS O. JOHNSON. 

